Dunedin Gets an Arboretum!

On Saturday October 15, 2011, 30 volunteers participated in conducting the first major planting of trees for the City of Dunedin's new Trailside Oasis Arboretum.

TREE Inc. members Jason Zysk (Left), Nancy Buckley (Center) and John Blechschmidt (Right) plant a Redbud tree at the Esurance Dunedin Trailside Oasis Arboretum Planting Project event.

Vicki Gitzen (Left), Annika Jones (Center Left), Andrea Strickland (Center Right) and Rick Strickland (Right) dig a planting hole for a Taiwan Flowering Cherry.

Located between the Pinellas Trail and the historic remnant of one of Pinellas County's first roads, volunteers installed 30 30-gallon ornamental and flowering trees at the Esurance Dunedin Trailside Oasis Arboretum Planting Project.

Esurance volunteers Sarah Gloe (Left) and Vicki Gitzen (Right) pose with a "St. Lukes" Purple Leaf Plum at the October 15th event.

Esurance volunteers raise some dust and plant a "St. Lukes" Purple Leaf Plum at the City of Dunedin's first large-scale Arboretum planting event.

As the first collection of the Arboretum to be planted is that of flowering trees, the following flowering trees were installed along the south side of the new Arboretum starting at the northeast corner of the intersection of Bayshore Boulevard (Alt. U.S. Highway 19) and Curlew Road:

• 2- "St. Lukes" Purple Leaf Plum (Prunus cerisifera var. "atropurpurea")
• 1- "Weaver" White Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida cv,)
• 1- Redbud (Cercis canadensis)
• 1- Taiwan Flowering Cherry (Prunus campanulata)
• 1- Chinese Fringe Tree (Chionanthus retusus)
• 1- Native Fringe Tree (Chionanthus virginicus)
• 3- Crape Myrtles (Lagerstromia x faurii)
• 2- Yellow Glaucus Cassia (Senna surrantensis)

Further north, volunteers planted the following evergreen, ornamental and shade trees:

• 1- Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda)
• 1- Southern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana var. "silicicola")
• 1- Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera)
• 1- Sweetbay (Magnolia virginiana)
• 1- Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)
• 1-Weeping Willow (Salix babylonica)

Volunteers from Esurance and T.R.E.E. Inc. completed the planting in little over an hour that morning. Although the City of Dunedin was kind enough to pre-dig the holes for the planting, the 30-gallon container size trees were a minimum two person job to safely install.

Karen Freedman (center) in the blue shirt get as an assist in the planting of a Chickasaw Plum from Esurance volunteers in a sea of white shirts.

Rick Strickland (Left), Gaby Strickland (Center Left), Annika Jones (Center Right) and Andrea Strickland (Right) place a soil ring around their newly planted "Weaver White" Flowering Dogwood.

The following volunteers are thanked for their outstanding efforts that day!

• Donald Abel
• Katie Abel
• Roman Abel
• Troy Abell
• John Blechschmidt
• Jason Buchalew
• Nancy Buckley
• Nick Canter
• Otilia Canter
• Karen Freedman
• Grayson Gain
• Cody Gitzen
• Vicki Gitzen
• Sarah Gloe
• Annike Jones
• Greta Jones
• Chris Lanzilotti
• Jovanna Llovio
• Jennifer L. Moore
• Brendan Marklin
• Francie Marklin
• William Moriaty
• Sarah Nelson
• Bob Scheible
• Andrea Strickland
• Gaby Strickland
• Rick Strickland
• Brett Youngster
• Clare Youngster
• Marcy Youngster
• Matthew Youngster
• Jason Zysk

In addition to the volunteers above, this planting would not have been possible without the help and support of the following:

Esurance, Inc.
• Joann Lee, Community Relationships Manager
• Vickie Gitzen, Tampa regional Office

City of Dunedin
• Mayor Dave Eggers
• Vice Mayor.Commissioner Ron Barnette
• Commissioner Julie Scales
• Commissioner Julie Ward Buljaski
• Lalena Sheets, Program Coordinator Parks and Recreation Department
• Art Finn, City Arborist

Horticultural Alliance, Inc.
• Jim Quinn, President

Morelli Landscaping, Inc.
• Joe Morelli, Owner

Seaside Artisan Motel
• Dan and Susie Clark, Owners

Friends For Florida
• Jodi Mark and her students

TREE Inc. members Otilia Canter (Left) and Karen Freedman (Right) prepare a planting hole for a Chickasw Plum.

A yellow flowering Cassia tree is planted by TREE Inc. members John Blechschmidt (Left), Nancy Buckley (Center) and Bob Scheible (Right)

In closing, T.R.E.E. Inc. President William Moriaty wishes to thank Dan and Susie Clark, owners of the Seaside Artisan Motel in Dunedin for their hospitality in providing him with lodging the night prior to the event. if you ever need an affordable pet friendly place to stay in Dunedin, Florida, check out the Seaside Artisan Motel.

TREE Inc. member Nancy Buckley waters a newly planted Cassia tree.

After all of the trees have been planted in the first phase in the creation of the City of Dunedin's Arboretum, Esurance volunteers and TREE Inc. President William Moriaty (in the blue shirt and pants) give a group pose to celebrate their notable accomplishment that day.

Photos by Jennifer L. Moore